Adopting a kitty for Apartment dwellers

If you are wondering what is the right cat for you, this is the place to be. In this introductory forum we talk about topics such as breed vs. mix, size, age, grooming, breeders, shelters, rescues as well as requirements for exercise, space and care. No question is too silly here. This particular forum is for getting and giving helpful, nice advice. It is definitely not a forum for criticizing someone else's opinion, knowledge or advice. This forum is all about purring and learning.

Member Since 02/19/2014

Purred: Wed Feb 19, '14 7:10am PST

Hello all, my husband and I will be adopting a cat as soon as we move to our new bigger and all around nicer apartment. I was hoping for some suggestions before bringing fluffy home =)

First off we checked out the humane society the other day (big...mistake?) We walked out wanting to adopt about 9 cats! T_T And I (my hubby is known to be the family cat lover) fell in love with a fluffy black prince!

I'm hoping my favorite cat is still there after we move (signing the lease this week)

Ok so here is where I need your help... my favorite kitty (due to his overt love and affection) is half medium hair cat and half Sphynx! He is 2 years old, and though he seems curious and playful, he didn't seem too high energy.

To the Sphynx owners out there... Would he appreciate apartment living?

Things to be considered...

We have a balcony on the 3ed floor. I have looked up ways to cat proof it (child netting and cat H shaped harness with SHORT Leash) IF we take him out.

He has claws... we wanted to remove them, so he cant claw at the screen and fall =( but its highly unpleasant (for him) and really expensive.

Any advice about clipping nails?

We will be in between moving for a few weeks, should we hold off on adopting him (they wont hold cats for you) or just stay with him a few nights a week? (but obviously check on him every day)

I have very slight allergies, he didn't seem to bother my allergies when we visited (and I walked away with half his kitty fur on my coat) But it may mean frequent baths.

Any suggestions for getting an older kitty acclimated to baths?

I have a lot of medical equipment (I have a lung condition called Cystic Fibrosis) My Dr did btw ok getting a kitty

How do you discipline your cat, to keep them off tables and not playing with medical stuff (I keep mine in a closed cabinet).

Are there good alternatives to the tried and true Water Bottle? I don't want to associate water with discipline (because of bath-time)

I will likely be home a lot, so he would have someone to keep him company. He didn't seem to get along well with other cats, so the idea of having another to keep him company if I do get a more consistent job doesn't make sense.

WOW!
Am assuming that your lease includes allowing cats or pets. That is important.
Don't know much about The Sphinx breed myself except that they need to be kept warm. Competed against one this past weekend at a show and he seemed like a nice cat, but was nervous so he acted out a bit.
Just being consistent in correcting unwanted behaviors with what ever means you choose to use is appropriate - I used to use a squirt bottle with water in it to discourage unwanted behaviors, but now that I show one of my cats and use squirt bottles to apply things to enhance my cat's fur, I avoid using squirt bottles for disciplining my cats. I use clapping my hands and my voice to varying degrees of success .
Declawing is not a desired way to keep your cat from clawing at things. It is a cruel surgical procedure that most cat owners avoid. Clipping claws every few weeks is a better way to prevent clawing. The two of you should have no difficulty getting your cat used to this. Begin by handling the cat's paws everyday. Massage the paws, work on unsheathing the claws by gently pressing them at the base of the claw one at a time. Do this for a few minutes daily with soft words and patting - finish by rewarding a good session with his/her favorite treat. If you are unable to clip the claws yourself - find a groomer or ask your vet to do it for you.
Good luck with your new kitty !

Unfortunately, the Sphinx mix might not be such a good idea for an apartment unless you have a lot of time and energy to devote to him. Sphinx cats tend to have a LOT of energy, and they're very intelligent, so they need LOTS of exercise and stimulation- that means walks, plenty of things to scratch, places to climb and perch, and lots of toys. A bored Sphinx will find other things to amuse themselves with, and it may not always be something you think is appropriate.
PLEASE do not get your cat declawed. That would be like cutting off the tip of your finger at the first joint, and it prevents the cat from walking correctly, as cats are designed to walk on the tips of their toes(which is amputated when they're declawed), not the pads of their feet, so it can cause major joint issues when they get older.
If you get a young cat, you can work with them to get them used to you touching their paws, so as long as you're gentle and take care not to clip the quick, you'll have no trouble trimming claws.
You should also provide your cat with appropriate places to scratch as well. Expecting a cat to just not scratch is ridiculous. It's part of their nature. They simply need to be taught that their tree/post/etc. is YES and the couch/walls/furniture is NO.
As far as discipline goes, as Claude said, be consistent. Make sure everyone is telling the cat the same thing. Cats can recognize different tones of voice, so that's how I have my cats trained. Don't yell- they'll just think you're being loud- but use a firm tone of voice. They won't catch on right away, but keep at it.
I would also recommend waiting until you've moved into your new place to bring your kitty in. Your cat will have to adjust to a whole new everything, and while it may take them some time to come to you, it will definitely be easier with you there rather than having them there alone.

Thank you for all the help everyone. We did adopt the kitty, though he has a slight mischievous streak (I expected that), He is absolutely great at listening, once I make it clear what is expected of him. If he does anything undesirable, usually it's because he hasn't figured out I'm not ok with it yet. I got a lot of help from the workers at animal control, they said moving in is fine, just so long as we are there with him. They also said he'd prefer being alone then with 30 other cats, so we'd be doing him a favor.

He like's it here, I swear he purred for 24 hours straight after getting home. Also, he didn't mind the new things coming into the apartment to explore

He's been good with not scratching too much, he should have his own post soon. I'm not sure when to clip his nails... he doesn't mind me touching his paws, and did relatively well with his first bath too =) I almost wonder if bath toys could make that more fun for him.